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Watch: Marcelo Mayer homers off of Nathan Eovaldi during scrimmage
Marcelo Mayer proved his bat has some pop in a battle with the Red Sox ace at JetBlue Park on Monday.
Marcelo Mayer still has a long way to go before he makes it to the major leagues. But the elite Red Sox shortstop prospect is already making an impression in his short time with the big club.
The 19-year-old Mayer showed off a good eye in his first Spring Training plate appearance, working a walk after falling behind in the count.
Then, the young infielder flexed on Red Sox ace Nathan Eovaldi Monday morning, taking the hard-throwing righty deep into the Sox bullpen in right-center field at JetBlue Park during an intra-squad game.
It’s no wonder Red Sox manager Alex Cora has spoken highly of Mayer, whom the team took No. 4 overall in last year’s draft and already ranks among the MLB’s top 20 prospects.
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“He’s not anxious, and he feels like he belongs,” Cora said after Mayer’s first Spring Training action with the Sox.
“Last night, after the game, I’m walking [around] the clubhouse and he’s like, ‘A.C., thank you.’ I’m like, ‘For what?’ He was like, ‘That was fun.’ Not too many kids say that. I know it meant a lot for them just to play together and be in that environment. It’s a good taste.”
It might be a while before Mayer is taking meaningful swings off of pitchers of Eovaldi’s quality as he soon begins his minor-league journey. But between him and Triston Casas, the Red Sox’ future could be a blast.
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